Combined push-button and door-lock mechanism.



E. L. GALE, Sn.

COMBINED PUSH BUTTON AND DOOR LOCK MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. I913- Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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E. L. GALE, SR.

COMBINED PUSH BUTTON AND DOOR LOCK MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG-7. 1913.

iv I Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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ERNEST L. GALE, SR, 013 YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COM-' PANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed August 7, 1913. Serial No. 783,454.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST L. Gen e, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residlng m Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Push- Button and Door-Lock Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined push button and door lock mechanism, and although it can have a general application, it is more particularly adapted for use In an automatic electric elevator system.

The objects of the invention are as follows: To provide door lock mechanism not dependent for operation on electrically operated cams on the car, nor on the movements of the car, but to combine a push button and door lock mechanism wherein the lock mechanism is operable to unlock the door only when the push button is pressed with the car at the landing corresponding thereto, and in which it is essential that the opening of the door be effected simultaneously with the operation of the push button, this novel mode of operation giving to the device the functions of a key controlled door lock or key controlled push button switch, 5. (2., it prevents one from using the car who has not been let into the mode of operation thereof; to provide a manually operative door lock operable from the hatchway to unlock the door independently of the position of the car; to provide a door lock mechanism and a co-acting member therefor which is held stationary on the car, andnormally out of engagement with the lock mechanism as the car passes thereby, thereby eliminating wear, tear and particularly noise which is an objectionable feature of door locking mechanisms now commonly used; to provide means for locking the door before the door circuit closer is placed in closed position, and for effecting an opening of said circuit closer before the door is unlocked; to provide a lock which shall be positive in action in unlocking and locking the door and closing of the circuit closers co-acting therewith; to provide means in which the live contacts are inclosed and thereby safeguarding against accidental shock, which in the type of door lock commonly used wherein the live contacts project outside of the casing, is easily effected.

Other objects of the present inventionwill appear hereinafter, the novel combinations of elements being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, shows a sectional side view of a device illustrating the functions of my invention, the parts as shown being in normal position; Fig. 2 shows in part section, a front view of Fig. 1, and it.) application thereof to a door and door jamb; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative position of parts with the push button pressed and the car at the landing; Fig. 4 shows a means for releasing the door from the hatchway,

the door being released with the parts in the position shown; Fig. 5 is a modification showing a manually operated door look without the contact mechanism associated with the push button.

In detail the mechanism comprises a casing 1, provided with a cover plate 2, removably fixed thereto, so that access to the mechanism inclosed may readily be made in case of adjustment or repair. Formed integrally with the casing is a guiding member 3, provided with a groove 4:, in which a member 5, moves longitudinally therein. The member 5 has a stem 6 formed integral therewith which extends into an opening 7 in a push button 8. The push button can be made of any suitable insulating material, and extends through and is guided by a boss 9 formed in the cover plate 2. The movement of the button is limited by a pin 9 adapted to engage a slot 8 in the push button. Contacts 11 made preferably of copper are suitably supported and held in fixed position in holders 10, formed integrally with the member 3, and are positioned to be engaged by a contact disk 13 carried by the stem 6 but insulated therefrom. The disk 13 is normally held out of engagement with the contacts 11 by a spring 12. The push pivotally supported by the casin 1, and the rocker arm carries a roller 16 w ich co-acts with a stationary cam 17 carried by the elevator car. A latch 18 is pivotally supported by a bracket 19, and is actuated by arock arm 20, carrying a roller 21. A pin 23 in the stem 14 co-acts with a lug in the arm 20, and effects the movement of the latch 18 to its unlocking position, as hereinafter described. A transverse arm 24 is formed integral with the latch for a purpose hereinafter described. Spring pressed contacts 25 made preferablyv of copper can be supported. in any suitable way, as for example by an insulating arm 26 formed integrally with the bracket 19. A contact strip 27 carried by the latch 18 is adapted to close-circuit the contacts 25, which as will be seen is effected only when said latch is in looking position. In an elevator installation the hatchway door contacts compr1sing in this instance. contacts 25 and 27, are placed in the controlling circuit of the elevator control system as shown in the patent heretofore cited, wherein the door contacts must be closed before the car can be moved away from the landing.

A second pivoted latch 28 constitutes a keeper for the latch 18 and is supported in a frame 29 secured to the hatchway side of the door. A hand lever 30 pivotally supported in the frame 29 affords a means for moving the keeper 28 out of lockingengagement with the latch 18, the said operation being permissible only from the hatchway and independently of the position of the elevator car (see Fig. 4). A pivoted lever 31 is provided with an arm 32, adapted to engage the latch 18, after said latch has been operated and the door opened (see Fig. 3) thereby maintaining the door contacts 25 open circuited until the door is again closed and locked. The keeper 28 is provided with a cam face 33, which co-acts with a roller 34, carried by the lever 31, and upon a movement of the door to its closed position, the said roller slides on the cam face, thereby rocking the arm out of en agement with the latch 18 and permitting t e latter to rock into locking engagement with the I keeper 28, and hence it will be seen that the door circuit'is thereby established and only when the latch 18 is in positive locking engagement with the keeper 28.

The "operation of the mechanism by pressing thepushbutton is as follows: The initial movement of the push button compresses a spring 38, which moves the contact disk 13 into electrical engagement with the contacts-11, thereby establishing the car operating hall circuit, whereby the elevator car is automatically started, and stopped in a Well known manner, at a floor corresponding to the push button pressed. The stem 6 is now seated in the push button (see Fig. 3) and w to be particularly noted that the contacts 25 are open circuited before the latch 18 fully disengages the keeper 28, whereby the door can be opened. It is to be noted that in order to open the door, a person must press the button with one hand in order to release the latch, and simultaneously open the door with the other hand, since when the push button is released, all the mechanism is returned to normal position as shown in Fig. 1 by the springs 35 and 12, and if the door still remained locked, and the door circuit again closed. This feature of having to open the door simultaneously with the pressing of the push button to release the latch 18 when the car is opposite the door, is one of the important features of my invention which by reason of its mode of operation would prevent one from using the car who has not been let in the secret of operation thereof, this being a very desirable feature particularly in a building where privacy of a car is desired, it has been found necessary to use aswitch in which a key is the controlling factor, or a keyed door lock mechanism, and it will readily be seen that my invention to a great extent gives a similar protection.

Continuing now with the operation, the

" push button is pressed, the door opened and the push button released. Upon the opening of the door, the keeper 28 is moved out of engagement with the roller 34, and a spring 35, rocks the arm 32 which main tains the latch in open position with the door contacts 25 open circuited. The door is again closed, whereby the roller 34 engages the cam surface 33 on the keeper 28, thereby moving the arm 32 out of engagement with the latch 18, whereby the latter will rock into locking engagement with the keeper 28, thereby close circuitingthe door contacts, and it is to be noted that the door circuit is closed only when the latch 18 and keeper 28 are in positive locking engage ment with each other.

If the push button is pressed and the car is not at the landing corresponding thereto, the contacts 11 are close circuited by the contact disk 13 upon the initial movement of the push button, thereby establishing the car operating circuit as heretofore described,

and a further movement of the push button inwardly, moves the member 5 longitudinally to the left, against the action of the closed, would again be spring 34, and the action of the spring 35 causes the stem 14 to rock the roller 16 into position to be engaged 'by the cam 17 on the car. In this instance, that is with the car away from the landing, the roller 21 simply rolls along the arm 24 extending transversely of the latch 18, and does not rock the latch to its unlocking position until the car reaches the landing, a person may either keep the push button pressed until the car reaches the landing, whereupon the cam will rock the lever 15 thereby efl'ecting a movement of the latch 18 to unlocking position, or he may press the button and release it instantly, whereupon the spring 34 will move the parts to their normal posltion as shown I be opened and as the keeper is moved away from the roller 34 the spring 35 rocks the lever 31 and the arm 32 engages the latch (see Fig. 3) thereby maintaining the same in unlocking position with the door contacts open circuited. Upon releasing the hand lever 30, a spring 36tmoves the keeper 28 to its normal position, said keeper being limited in its said movement by a stop 87. Upon closing the door, the cam surface on the keeper 28 engages the roller 34, thereby moving the arm 32 out of engagement -w1th the latch 18, whereby said latch will rock into locking engagement with the keeper 28 and the door contacts will be again close circuited. The operation of the lock mechanism from the hatchway can be effected independently of the position of the car, and without any' co-action whatsoever with the operation from the push button in the hall.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, I provide simply a manually operative door lock mechanism, by simply eliminating the contact mechanism 11 and 13, and also the springs 12 and 38 associated therewith, and in this arrangement the stem 6 is seated against the push button as shown. The arrangement and operation of the remaining parts is the same as heretofore described.

It is obvious that various other modifications in the details of construction and arrangement of parts can be made by those skilled in the 'art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, therefore I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein shown.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, door locking mechanism for the door, means operable from the hatchway to unlock the doorindependently of the position of the car in the hatchway, and means independent oi the first named means to unlock the door when the car is at a landing.

2. The combination with an elevator, of a door at a floor landing, means for locking said door, means operable from the hatchway to unlock the door independently of the position of the car, and means independent of said means dependent upon the position of the car in the hatchway and operable from the landing to unlock the door.

3. The combination with an elevator, of

' adoor at a floor landing, locking means for said door, manual means to unlock the door when the car is opposite said door, a second manual means independent of said first named means operable to unlock the door, independently of the position of the car, contact mechanism associated with said looking means, adapted to form a closed circuit when the door is closed and locked by said locking mechanism, and to be open circuited when the door is open, and means to maintain the contact mechanism open-circuited, until the door is again closed and locked by said. locking means.

4. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, locking mechanismfor said door comprising pivoted looking members, manually controlled means associated with one of said members dependent for its operation upon the position of the car with respect to the landing and adapted to move the same to its unlocking position when the car is opposite the door,

and a second manually controlled means operable to move the other member to its unlocking position independently of the first named manual means and independently of the position of the car.

5. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, locking means for said door comprising a pivoted keeper and a pivoted latch adapted to be moved into locking engagement with the keeper when the door is closed,'manual means operable from the floor landing, to effect a movement of the latch out of locking engagement with the 'keeper when the car is opposite said door, and a manual means operable from the hatchway, to move said keeper out of locking engagement with the latch, independently of the position of the car.

6. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, a lock for the door, and means for unlocking said look from the hatchway independent of the position of the car, and independent means locking said mechanism regardless of the position of the car.

8. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, door locking mechanism comprising a latch and its keeper, a push button, a lever bodily movable with the push button and arranged to operate said latch, a detent in the path of movement of the lever and normally movable therewith, and means on the car for preventing a movement of said detent whereby an operation of the pushbutton carries the said lever into operative engagement with the detent to move the latch out of engagement with its keeper and thereby unlock the door.

9. The combination with an elevator car,

of a door at a floor landing, door locking out of locking engagement with its keeper.

10. The combination with an elevator car,

- of a door at a floor landing, door locking mechanism comprising a a latch and its keeper, a push'button, a lever bodily movable with the push button and arranged to operate the latch, a detent in the path of movement of the lever and normally movable therewith, means depending on the position of the car in-the hatchway for preventing a movement of said detent whereby an operation of the push button carries the said lever into operative engagement with the detent to move the latch out of engage ment with its keeper and thereby unlock thedoor, and contacts in a controlling circuit of the car operated by the latch.

11. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, door locking mechanism comprising a latch and its keeper, a push button, a lever bodily movable with the push button and arranged to operate the-latch, a detent in the path of movement of the lever and normally movable therewith, means depending on the position of the car in the liatchway for preventing a movement of said detent whereby an operation of the push button carries the said lever into operative engagement with.

the car, and door locking mechanism controlled by said push button.

13. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, a push button at the landing for effecting the starting of the car, and door locking mechanism controlled by said push button in accordance with the osition of said car with respect to the floor anding,

14. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, a push button at the landing for effecting the starting of the car, door locking mechanism comprising a latch and its keeper, a connection between said push button and the latch for operating the latter into unlocking position, and means independent of the push button for effecting a disengagement of the'latch and its keeper.

15. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, a push button at the landing for effecting the starting of the car, door locking mechanism comprising a latch and its keeper, a connection between said push button and the latch for operating the latter into unlocking position, and manual means for moving said keeper out of locking engagement with the latch.

16. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, a push button at the landing for efi'ecting the starting of the car, door locking mechanism comprising a latch and its keeper, a connection between said push button and the latch for operating the latter into unlocking position, and manual means accessible from the hatchway for moving said keeper out of locking engagement with the latch.

17. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, a push button at thelanding for effecting the operation of the-car, locking mechanism for said door, and a mechanical connection between said push button and door locking mechanism for effecting the unlocking of the door.

1,8. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor-landing, a push button at the landing for effecting the operation of the car, locking mechanism for the door comprising a latch and its keeper, a mechanical operative connection between said push button and the latch for unlocking the door, and means operatively connected with thesaid keeper for unlocking the door in-. dependently of the push button.

19. The combination with an elevator car, of a door at a floor landing, a push button at the landing for effecting the starting of -the car, door locking mechanism comprising a latch and its keeper, an operative connection between the push button andlatch for moving the latch out of lockingengagement with its keeper, means for retaining said latch in its unlocked position, an operative relation between said keeper and retaining means whereby the latter is constrained against movement when the door is closed but permitted to operate when the door is opened, and electric contacts in a controlling circuit of the car controlled by the latch.

20. The combination with an elevator car,

of a door at a floor landing, a push button at the landing for efiecting the starting of the car, door locking mechanism'comprising a latch and its keeper, an operative connection between the push button and latch for moving thelatch out of locking engagement with its keeper, a spring pressed stop controlled by the keeper for retaining the latch unlocked when the door is opened, and electric contacts in a controlling circuit of the car controlled by the latch.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST L. GALE, SR. Witnesses:

. EDWARD H. STEELE,

SGHUYLER PHILLIPS. 

